Team Heretics: Going the Distance at LEC Versus ft. Hidon

LEC Versus kicks off on Saturday, January 17. Among the twelve teams competing this split, Team Heretics isn’t here to win yet. New roster. New coach. New philosophy. And a brutally honest assessment: they have the lowest baseline in the league. But that’s not the end of the story. Jonas ‘Hidon‘ Vraa returns to the LEC after vowing never to come back, armed with full control and a long-term vision. He’s not building a team to peak in Winter. He’s building a team to outlast everyone else.

Hotspawn sat down with Team Heretics’ head coach to discuss his return, why fundamentals matter more than results, and why no one should panic when they see this team struggle.

Back in the Ring – “It was either now or never”

When Hidon left GIANTX, he made a vow: never go back on site. The LEC hadn’t lived up to his expectations—not in work ethic, not in professionalism. He didn’t see a path to Worlds, and he didn’t see himself growing anymore.

When I came to LEC the first time, I expected it to be much better than it was. People are at the top of their industry—you expect professionalism. But it just didn’t exist. I didn’t see a world where I could ever win Worlds. So I decided to never be on site again.

After helping Fnatic for the rest of 2024 as a positional coach, Hidon didn’t compete in 2025. Then Team Heretics called. And they offered something no one else could give him.

I told them: don’t hire me if you don’t give me full control over the structure, the environment, everything. If I’m not given that, winning Worlds is not possible for me. And they hired me because they truly believe in me.

With the trust he demanded and a sports psychologist to continue his own development as a coach, Hidon decided the time was right. “If I’m sitting on all this knowledge and I’m not using it, that’s a waste. The conditions were right. It was either now or never.”

TEAM HERETICS LEC TEAM 2026.

A man, a briefcase and a mission: to dream big 💫#VamosHeretics pic.twitter.com/2tWg0tgnk7

— Heretics League of Legends (@HereticsLeague) December 23, 2025

Building the Fighter

Team Heretics started from scratch. No tools, no pre-existing structure—just a blank slate and an extensive scouting process designed by Hidon himself.

We had an incredibly extensive process. We made an extremely long list, and through that we added the vision that I have. Rather than taking the best possible player in each position, we took the players that matched well together.

The priority wasn’t mechanics or reputation; it was people. Hidon believes that one toxic personality can destroy a team, and he built his roster accordingly.

If we do not have good people, we will not succeed. All it takes is one terrorist in the team and you have a big problem. We are people-led first. We look for personalities, then we look for player skill. Because I truly believe that if you’re a good coach, you can always make a good player. But it’s much more difficult to make a good person.

The Returning Core – “We’re starting from scratch with Sheo and Stend”

The returning duo of Sheo and Stend comes with baggage—and Hidon doesn’t mince his words about it. His initial scouting of the 2025 roster was blunt. “There was very little planning from both players. Very little leadership. And that came from Sheo and Stend as well,” he said.

But that was then. The work has already begun—and Hidon sees progress. “Now Sheo is extremely good at planning. It’s taking time and we keep working on it, but those two will have a good partnership as long as we continue to address this,” he added.

The good jungle/support dynamic that fans and observers praised last year? Hidon says it didn’t really exist.

From the outside it might look like there was a dynamic between the duo. From the inside, there wasn’t much. We’re starting from scratch with those two. And I also prefer to have a stronger laner in bot. I truly believe you should always aim to have strong laners that can be played around. I don’t see it as a problem [because it could mean Stend would play less with his jungler]—I see it as an opportunity.

New Corners

In the solo lanes, the profiles are different, but the confidence is the same. Serin arrives from the TCL with international experience—Worlds, MSI—under his belt.

Serin is more experienced than 80% of LEC. He’s not a rookie. There’s no world where he can get rookie of the year. You see this guy lane? He’s f*sting everyone—even though he still has to improve a lot.

As for Tracyn, Hidon sees shades of a former player from his XL days.

Tracyn doesn’t play like a rookie. He’s extremely vocal—one of the most vocal toplaners. He’s kind of like Odo (Odoamne) in how he actively participates in communication. But younger and less panicky. Sorry Odo… We already have a good baseline in terms of laning with these two.

Hitting the Gym – “When we came to bootcamp, the players were absolutely dogs**t”

Hidon doesn’t sugarcoat it. The starting point was rough—really rough. “When we came to the bootcamp, the players were absolutely dogs**t, which then makes the team really dogs**t, because we can’t go to VOD review and look at the foundations. So we focus on the fundamentals first.” Three priorities guide the process: fundamentals, culture, and composure.

We always keep the culture in check, always at the forefront of our mind. And the third thing is: don’t panic. Never panic. Work on consistent goals throughout the week, throughout the month. And if something else comes up, just let it happen. As long as we’re working and getting better on our goals, be satisfied with that.

His message to fans expecting early results? “When you see us inting, don’t panic.”

Our 2026 run starts this week 🫡#VamosHeretics | #LEC pic.twitter.com/Je8AfpASNL

— Heretics League of Legends (@HereticsLeague) January 13, 2026

Keep Moving Forward

At the core of Hidon’s philosophy is what he calls “Day One Mentality”—a relentless focus on the present.

Day One Mentality means what you did yesterday does not matter. What you did in your past team does not matter. The only thing that matters is what you do today. No one cares if you won the championship last year. You have to win again.

It’s also a shield against the inevitable losses. Hidon believes the team that handles adversity best will come out on top—and that starts with culture.

In Europe, they say the team that hates each other the least is the team that wins—because it’s a long season. If you don’t have a strong foundation, losses hit hard and people start hating each other. But if you don’t get hit by the loss and you continue with a Day One Mentality, you can outwork everybody. Because honestly? The European culture is quite lazy.

The Eye of the Tiger – “We have the lowest baseline, but we will have the highest ceiling”

Hidon is refreshingly honest about expectations. Winter is not the goal—it’s a stepping stone: “Our team needs time to grow,” he explained. “I believe we will outwork everybody and have the best structure of any team. But we have the lowest baseline. So let me be clear: we will not be winning the first split.”

But the ceiling? That’s a different story.

We have the lowest baseline, but we will have the highest ceiling. I truly believe that. Winter (LEC Versus) is a lot about individual skill. But as you go further into the year, it’s about how you work as a team. And the team that works the best will win.

When asked about result-oriented goals, Hidon dismisses the framing entirely: “I don’t think results matter. Results come from the process. They come from the work itself. They don’t come from saying ‘I want to win Worlds.’ Cool—but how do you want to win Worlds? Focus on the culture, Day One Mentality, and create a high-performance environment. The results will take care of themselves.”

Heretics won’t win the Versus. Hidon knows it, the players know it. But when the dust settles, they plan to still be swinging. Going the distance starts now.

Team Heretics 2026’s roster:

• Toplane: Sebastian “Tracyn” Wojtoń
• Jungle: Théo “Sheo” Borile
• Midlane: Tolga “Serin” Ölmez
• ADC: Yoon “Ice” Sang-hoon
• Support: Paul “Stend” Lardin

Coaching staff:

• Jonas “Hidon” Vraa
• Alfonso “mithy” Rodríguez
• Emre “Arkhe” Akpınarlı
• Deam “Deam” Saavedra Carranza